**Thank you to Thomas Nelson publishing for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts!**

I enjoyed this book! It was really cute and clean with themes of forgiveness. However, the characters just annoyed me too much for me to give 5 stars. They were incredibly stubborn and just could not communicate with each other. It drove me bonkers, especially towards the end. I still had a really good time reading, though, which is why I gave it 4 stars. The plot is good, and the writing style is good as well. It flowed well, and I was engaged the whole way through. I just couldn't stand the characters sometimes!

WITH THIS RING is a heart tugging story filled with grief, loneliness, heartbreak, and love that will hold you hostage until the very last page. Once I started this heartwarming story, it was very hard to put down! I really prayed that Dakota would be able to convince Hudson that he wasn’t the only one at fault when they broke up and deserved to be loved and happy once again. Amy Clipston isn’t afraid to write about subjects that tug at the readers hearts. Oh, as a warning to the reader, keep the tissues handy and do not read the ending in a public place unless you don’t mind crying in front of strangers! I’m so excited to continue catching up on all of Amy Clipston’s previous books.

When I hear that Amy Clipston has a new book coming out, I run to it. WITH THIS RING is exactly why! Dakota feels like she is drowning. She has opened up a bridal shop which is her dream come true. But recently her shop was flooded and all of this year’s wedding gowns were damaged. She now has money troubles and its really stressing her out. Hudson has just returned to Flowering Grover, NC and is in the middle of selling his company. He is home to try and convince his little sister, Layla, that she is too young to get married. Layla is having none of it!

Amy Clipston has created a wonderful story filled with beautiful families and characters. She is so amazing at what she writes, no matter if it’s Amish or contemporary fiction. Her descriptions of each setting had me feeling as if I were right there in the roller rink giggling with the Dakota and her friends. WITH THIS RING was a quick read for me because I had a hard time putting it down once I started. I found myself cheering for Dakota and hoping she could get Hudson’s walls to come down. I love the way she never gave up on him no matter how hard he pushed her away.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Not a huge fan of second chance romances but I have to say I did enjoy the faith aspect of this one more than the romance.

With This Ring by Amy Clipston is a heartwarming, second-chance romance that will captivate readers with its sweet and emotional storyline. Dakota Jamison, the owner of Fairytale Bridal Shop in the picturesque town of Flowering Grove, has moved on from her broken engagement with her high school sweetheart, Hudson Garrity. Dakota has built a life around helping brides find their perfect dress, but when Hudson unexpectedly returns to town to stop his sister’s wedding, she’s forced to confront both her past and her feelings for him.

Hudson, a successful businessman who has it all, comes back to Flowering Grove to protect his sister, Layla, from what he believes is a mistake. But being back in his hometown leads him to reconnect with Dakota—the one who got away. As the two navigate their unresolved feelings and the messy family dynamics, they must confront their past, their misunderstandings, and whether they’re ready for a second chance at love.

Clipston beautifully combines rekindled romance with the themes of forgiveness, growth, and healing. The small-town setting adds a cozy, charming atmosphere, making this a perfect read for fans of feel-good romances. With its sweet, clean romance and well-developed characters, With This Ring is an emotionally fulfilling story that will leave readers with all the feels. A fantastic pick for book clubs or readers looking for a heartwarming escape into love and second chances.

With This Ring is the second book in Amy Clipston’s Funny Feelings series but it is a standalone story. Dakota Jamison, owner of Fairytale Bridal, is a very talented seamstress and designer who has achieved her dream of having her own bridal store in her small home town of Flowering Grove. But the dream could easily become a nightmare with the burst pipes her landlord insists is her responsibility as per the lease and the damaged goods her insurance company states weren’t covered. Then there is the increase in her mortgage payments.

Dakota is excited about the wedding gown she is creating for Layla Garrity, little sister of Dakota’s ex fiancé Hudson Garrity. When it became clear that Hudson’s big city entrepreneur goals and her small town business owner goals were diametrically opposed, Dakota broke off the engagement and Hudson headed to NYC. Now Hudson is home on the heels of having sold his company for a fortune, but with the express purpose of stopping his sister’s wedding.

With an interesting cast of characters and a well plotted story line, this is another very good novel from Ms. Clipston. I very much enjoyed this book and I do recommend it!

EXCERPT: (Dakota) loved helping brides dress for the wedding of their dreams, which was why she opened this boutique. Witnessing the pure joy glowing on her customers' faces when they found the perfect gown felt almost magical. In fact, she eventually wanted to have a place where she could not only sell gowns but also host weddings. An all-inclusive wedding venue with a boutique and a large restored building - such as a barn or an old mill where couples could have their ceremony and reception - would be perfect. Perhaps one day she'd find a farm to purchase, but first she'd need the funds to open the place . . .
Until then, she'd continue to sell gowns and help brides plan their dream weddings and their happily ever afters. After all, she believed in fairy tales for the brides-to-be who shopped with her, although she didn't believe she would ever experience her own. She'd just have to live vicariously through her customers instead.

ABOUT 'WITH THIS RING': Dakota Jamison is living her dream running Fairytale Bridal Shop in her hometown of Flowering Grove, NC. But despite helping others find their Happily Ever Afters, getting married and settling down isn't on her radar. In fact, she decided she'd never get engaged again after Hudson Garrity broke her heart and left her to pursue a career in New York City. Besides, she doesn't have time for a relationship between running her shop and giving roller skating lessons at the local rink.

Hudson Garrity made his dream a reality when he started his own software company in the big city, but now that he's sold it, he's at a crossroads. He's finally made enough money to provide a comfortable life for his younger sister and the aunt who raised them after their parents died. Hoping that a return home will help return his focus, he's instead thrown into family chaos and roped into helping his sister plan her wedding . . . bringing him once more into contact with the one who got away.

As Hudson's sister's wedding date draws closer, he starts to remember how much he loved Flowering Grove and the smalltown life. And as he and Dakota start to wonder what could have been, they reevaluate what went wrong between them.

Will Dakota and Hudson find it in their hearts to forgive each other and forge a new life together?

MY THOUGHTS: With This Ring is my first book by Amy Clipston, but it won't be my last. She really makes you work for the HEA!

There is a lot of conflict in With This Ring, and I mean A LOT! Hudson is at the centre of it all, though maybe not all of it is his fault. He manages to alienate both his sister, her fiancé and his ex-fiancé! Nice going Hud. He had good intentions, but how he expressed them was an epic fail on his part.

Honestly, Hudson and Dakota are just as stubborn as one another and not prepared to explain themselves or their decisions. There is a lot of miscommunication and long held resentment between the two over their breakup years earlier. I'm not usually a fan of the miscommunication trope, but it works well here. I found myself getting equally angry at both Hud and Dakota as the story progressed.

If you are looking for a small town second-chance romance that includes plenty of fireworks, With This Ring is an ideal place to start. It is an entertaining read, and I challenge you NOT to get caught up in the characters' lives.

I was able to read & listen to With This Ring by Amy Clipston, narrated by Brittany Goodwin and enjoyed both formats.

⭐⭐⭐.9

#WithThisRing #NetGalley

MEET THE AUTHOR: Amy Clipston is an award-winning bestselling author and has been writing for as long as she can remember. Her fiction writing “career” began in elementary school when she and a close friend wrote and shared silly stories.
Amy works full-time for the City of Charlotte, NC, and lives in North Carolina with her husband, two sons, mother, and five spoiled rotten cats.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Thomas Nelson Fiction and Zonderfan Fiction Audio for providing both an e-ARC and audio ARC of With This Ring, written by Amy Clipston and narrated by Brittany Goodwin for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

This book was cute cozy goodness from start to finish! Second chance romances are starting to become my favorite trope and this one was just so beautifully done- my only complaint is that I needed more. Hudson and Dakota are just so good together 🫠 Literally just so good and will be reading more from this author

Rather disappointing:
This was a somewhat enjoyable second chance contemporary romance, however I found it took me a while to get into it. The tone of the book was rather down and it was only the latter part of the story where I felt connected to the characters. I found Hudson's judgemental and elitist attitude annoying so I was glad to see his personal growth at the end. Unfortunately I also had a hard time warming up to Dakota and was frustrated by her actions.
Overall I found this book to be rather bland with not very likeable characters. Given the publisher, I was also expecting some faith elements however there were none.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

ARC from Netgalley

DNF @ 39%. No rating.

Story: With This Ring brings us the story of Dakota and Hudson, a couple who broke up after Hudson decided to chase his dream of being successful to New York. I abandoned this book at 39%, which wasn't far enough to find out the specifics of the breakup, but it's clear Dakota broke up with Hudson. I don't know if the author was holding the details out as a twist, but I think it did the story a huge disservice. Dakota came off as so immature as the one who initiated the breakup. Hudson was immature, too, but it was like she wanted to punish him. But let me back up...

Hudson does become hugely successful in New York, and Dakota, having never left their hometown of Flowering Grove, is struggling to make ends meet. And this is where my issues with the book start. For one, she took a chance on a brand new business, and then bought a house against her father's advice. A fixer upper that she has zero money to fix up. And the author went hard to show us how terrible things are going for her. A disaster at her store has ruined her inventory, and her fixer upper is literally falling apart. We're talking cupboard doors falling off when she opens them. And hearing her inner thoughts just make it hard to sympathize with her knowing she knowingly made these irresponsible choices. On top of that, Hudson's sister is getting married, and Dakota was so steeped in old wounds that she was hoping Hudson wouldn't be able to make time to come home for the wedding. That doesn't make her a very good friend or very likable.

Also, this book felt very cliche. And I could go into why, but I think I've gone on enough, and I'm not looking to hate on this book; I just want to share what didn't work for me. Unfortunately, I don't recommend this one.

Narration: With This Ring was narrated by Brittany Goodwin. I thought her tone was a bit monotone at times, but she did OK switching between the male and female voices. While I didn't necessarily love the job she did, I wouldn't be turned away by her narration in the future. I'd give her another chance.

👰‍♀️ second-chance
🤍 small town romance
💒 christian / clean romance

Dakota owns her own bridal shop, of which she has dreamed for so long. But this dream has turned into a disaster really fast. When a pipe burst in her bridal shop, her building and all her dresses got damaged. She didn’t get any money back from her insurance and now she can barely pay for her building or any new dresses.

Hudson comes back to his hometown Flowering Grove after hearing the news that his little sister is getting married. He doesn’t want his sister to get married, so he tries everything to get in the way. Hudson is willing to provide for his sister and pay for her wedding, but he still hopes that the wedding won’t take place. After fighting with his sister about the marriage, Hudson makes up for it by helping out with planning the marriage.

But then when Hudson is paying for her sister's wedding dress, he comes face to face with his ex-fiancee Dakota. Now that they live in the same town again, they see more of each other than they would like. But the more they see each other, the more they start thinking of how their relationship ended and why.
Will they forgive each other and try to make it work again? Or are the people in the past better left in the past?

This is the first book I have read from Amy Clipston and I’m very impressed. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The writing style was really good. It was easy to read and there was always something happening. There was never a dull moment.
I really liked the characters and their backstories. The characters were well rounded and relatable. I liked the main characters a lot and their chemistry was really great.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a sweet second-chance romance.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Title: With This Ring
Author: Amy Clipston
Narrated by: Brittany Goodwin
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Length: Approximately 8 hours and 45 minutes
Source: Audiobook Review Copy from NetGalley, physical book copy from Thomas Nelson as a part of the Austenprose PR Book Tour. Thank you!

Do you like to wear rings? Do you have a favorite ring or one that is the most meaningful?

Dakota and Huson broke off their engagement seven years before when Hudson left their small town for New York City with dreams of making it big in business. Dakota stayed behind and pursued her dream of starting a bridal boutique. Hudson has returned to town after selling his company as his sister is engaged and planning her wedding. Will Dakota and Hudson reconnect? Will they be able to work through their problems from the past?

My thoughts on this novel:
• As February nears, I was in a mood to read a romance novel. This had one of my favorite tropes – second chance romance.

• This novel was a lot of fun. My favorite part was that there was roller-skating rink that one of Dakota’s friends had bought, restored, and runs. Dakota teaches skating lessons there on the weekend. There are fun activities, and it is the core of the social scene in town.

• The fictional setting was Flowering Grove, North Carolina. I loved the name of this town!

• There is just something I love about bridal boutiques. I enjoy reading about them and Dakota’s struggles as she tries to keep her business afloat. She needs to learn how to ask for help, but Hudson needs to learn to stop controlling everyone.

• Hudson drove me insane when he would just throw money at everything and boss everyone around. He was so rude to his sister and her fiancé.

• Hudson’s pursuit of money alienated both his family and Dakota. He reminded me of Ebenezer Scrooge at times. I like that by the end of the novel, the reader understands why he behaved the way he did.

• I liked that Hudson and Dakota both had redemptive arcs, and both had to learn how to be their best selves and the best to those they love in their lives.

• This is a clean romance.

• I listened to the audiobook. The narrator was great, and it was a fun book. There were some odd pauses in the audiobook, but that may be because it was a review copy.

Overall, With this Ring by Amy Clipston is a sweet, clean second chance romance with a redemptive arc. If this novel doesn’t make you want to roller-skate, I don’t know what will.

This book holds such valuable lessons, the biggest one of all: communication is key. We witness various instances of this throughout the book and our HEA is all the more sweeter for it.

I literally stayed up reading this until 2 in the morning because I was so absorbed in it.

Dakota is SEVERELY down on her luck. She just bought a cute house, but it's falling apart. And she doesn't have time to fix it because a pipe burst in her new bridal boutique, ruining almost all of her stock. And to top it off, both her lease and insurance didn't cover the damages.

Did I mention he ex-fiancée is in town for his sister's wedding? That was a train-wreck of no communication if I ever saw one.

Hudson is a piece of work who has his own demons to work with, but his intentions are good. The universe seems to keep pushing Hudson and Dakota together, as they keep on running into each other in their little town of Flowering Grove.

Speaking of, can I move there, please?

This really is a must-read if you love second chances and small-town romance!!

3⭐️ ARC Review: This book was so many things. On one hand it was cozy and sweet and everything you want in a romance. Small town guy leaves small town girl for big city career. Big city guy now comes back to small town and falls back in love with small town girl business owner. Right? We love that. On the other hand, it was just poorly executed and fell flat.

I liked the side characters more than the MCs. There were just too many to keep straight, so it became a lot. I liked when Hudson and Dakota conversed about their memories together. It kind of made their relationship seem deeper. Second chance romances still feel insta-love to me even when they have that history. But in those books it never talks about the past they shared. At least the ones I’ve read. But this one was obviously different. So the second chance romance trope was done well. And the writing was fine, but oh my gosh this book was just too long. It dragged and dragged.

Also, the trophy for the 2 most stubborn characters goes to this book. Hudson was a jerk and he never grew on me. He was so degrading towards Layla and Shane for the entirety of the book. And then Dakota wouldn’t listen to others when she needed to! They were just trying to help. Ugh. So frustrating. Both of the main characters.

The slow burn burned until the candle was completely out. So that kiss was completely unsatisfying. I just didn’t love this book sadly.

*Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas Nelson, and Amy Clipston for the complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This sweet second chance romance touched my heart. Dakota helps brides plan their happily ever after even though her heart was broken years ago. Now the man that broke her heart is back in town and trying to stop his sister’s wedding. Are they really over each other or is there still something between them? The small town of Flowering Grove is the perfect setting, it is a community of people that know and care about each other. I enjoyed Dakota and the relationships she has with her friends and family. I liked her determination to create the life of her dreams. Hudson is a character that I initially found annoying and frustrating as he had his own thoughts and agenda and kept himself closed off from everyone he cares about. I was invested in the characters and was rooting for them to start communicating and figure it out. I recommend this book if you enjoy second chance romances set in a small town.

This was such a great book! I really enjoyed it.

I received an ARC copy of this book and all opinions are my own.

This is my first book I’ve read from Amy Clipston, and it won’t be my last. Her writing captivated me in this second chance romance. I felt the depth of the characters emotions so profoundly as both of them worked through their own battles and eventually found a way to merge their lives and love together. The element of a bridal shop was such a fun addition, especially with Dakota’s determination and pride in the work she could accomplish.

Overall I thought this was a fantastic book. It’s completely clean, and the romance is held to just kissing. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy of this book. A review is not required.

As the story opened, I felt sorry for Dakota. There had been a flood in her bridal shop, her insurance didn’t seem to be coming through, and she was struggling to recoup her losses. Tragic circumstances, for sure. Her bright point is her teenage niece who helps in the shop after school and shares her teen drama with her favorite aunt. But it’s still a pretty doom-and-gloom situation. Even the small fixer-upper she’s scraped to buy is in a major state of disrepair. In her brief memory of her high-school sweetheart, Hudson, early in the story, we only see bitterness. Perhaps to be expected.

We switch to NYC, where Hudson and his partner are wrapping up the sale of their software company and considering future options. He’s lived the dream for the past decade, going from a disadvantaged orphan to a mega-rich businessman. And… there’s no evidence this hasn’t all gone to his head. When his younger sister calls, all excited about her recent engagement, Hudson decides to return to the small town where he grew up to stop Layla’s wedding. He only hopes not to run into Dakota again.

Of course, he does. She’s in the wedding business. But Hudson… I tried to like him, but I really struggled. He is so pompous, certain he knows what is best for his sister, their aunt, and everyone else. He is exceptionally rude to the girl’s fiancé. I just… couldn’t, with Hudson.

By this stage, Dakota’s niece has some ideas for helping rebuild the bridal business, but she shuts the teen down. Dakota knows best and is sure the girl’s ideas won’t work. But the situation becomes more dire.

Hudson and Dakota run into each other a few times and it becomes apparent that their memories of their long-ago breakup are different. Which version is correct? That question kept me reading when I nearly didn’t.

The writing was solid. The descriptions excellent. The small town came to life around me. I adored Dakota’s teen niece. Readers who love the “rich man swoops in to save the day” trope may love With This Ring.

I didn’t hate this book but I didn’t love it! I liked certain parts but overall found it lacking in depth for me. This is a no spice book but that doesn’t matter to me because that’s not a necessity for me in romance books but I found there to be an overall lack in the storyline where for most of it, i found there wasn’t substance. It was pretty basic.

Towards the end their was hints of vulnerability and I really enjoyed that but like I said overall this book just missed the mark for me to be anything but a light read that wasn’t very impactful to me.

I might read more by this author in the future if I ever come across her books.

Thanks NetGalley, Thomas Nelson Fiction and Amy Clipston for giving me an ARC of this book!

With This Ring by Amy Clipston was such a sweet small-town romance with tons of charm and heart. Dakota Jamison runs the Fairytale Bridal Shop in Flowering Grove. She’s independent, determined, and totally focused on helping others find their happily ever after, even though she’s sworn off the idea for herself after her breakup with Hudson Garrity when he left their small town to pursue his dream. It's taken her a long time to heal after the break-up, and now, seven years later, Hudson returns to town to stop his younger sister's wedding.

The chemistry between Dakota and Hudson was there from the start, even though they both tried hard to ignore it. Watching them work through old wounds and unresolved feelings was interesting. They’re both so stubborn, and it frustrated me at times. That being said, it definitely highlighted how much they changed and grew over the course of the story. I enjoyed each of their stories, and their romance is a slow burn filled with some lovely moments that melted my heart.

The small-town setting added so much charm and warmth to the story, and I particularly loved the bridal boutique and the roller rink. It reminded me of when I was a kid - I loved roller skating! lol The supporting characters, from Dakota’s bubbly friends to Hudson’s well-meaning family, were also great and added complexity and depth to the story. Dakota and Hudson have strong connections to this charming town and the people who live there. It has major Hallmark vibes and feels like the kind of place where everyone knows your business but in the best way.

While the miscommunications between Dakota and Hudson got frustrating at times, I appreciated how the story focused on themes of forgiveness and second chances. The romance was sweet, the setting was cozy, and I'm curious to see if any of the secondary characters will be the focus of a future book because there are a couple I definitely want to learn more about!

I was given an advanced copy to read in exchange for my honest opinion...

Oh. My. Goodness. This is the first Amy Clipston book I've read but it will NOT be my last. From page 1, I was captured firmly into the lives of Dakota and Hudson. I love how she starts off giving just enough detail in their life of how they are doing and what they've done with their life. But then you find out that they used to be engaged... and oh my goodness. I absolutely love how this author incorporated the fact that lack of communication in any relationship can be so detrimental. Even from a parent/child standpoint. I could not put this book down and actually finished it after midnight one night! I highly recommend this book to anyone!! It doesn't have anything adult content, so if you want a book without it this is it!!!!